


Pet Me For Science!

by Goron_King_Darunia



Category: Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World
Genre: I really don't know if this qualifies, M/M, Pet-play, but I'm tagging it just in case
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2016-03-23
Packaged: 2018-05-28 12:57:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6330139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goron_King_Darunia/pseuds/Goron_King_Darunia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aster Laker, the young Sybak prodigy, has a little surprise for Richter: animal ears! And an insatiable urge to be petted of course! A Valentine's Day gift for my bae!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pet Me For Science!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KageSora](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KageSora/gifts).



> So this is based on a post from starshi on Tumblr. 
> 
> http://starshi.tumblr.com/post/124582564475/its-for-science
> 
> I asked if I could write a fic because it was such a cute idea and I kind of got carried away. It also took me WAY longer than it should have to complete. Oh well.
> 
> It's Richter/Aster smut, I can't help myself (more notes on Tumblr!)

Richter sat at his desk, sipping a cup of Ceylon tea. He was just about finished with his work for the evening, no thanks to Aster, who had inexplicably disappeared after lunch. Still, that’s just how Aster was, and Richter had grown used to the boy disappearing without warning. Or, at the very least, he’d convinced himself that he was used to it. What he was _not_ used to was the blond reappearing the same day.  
  
“Richter, Richter, Richter!” Aster came barreling into the room, all smiles and full of excitement. That level of energy did _not_ go over well with Richter, not this late in the day at least.  
  
“Lower the volume, please.” Richter sighed without even bothering to look at the other. “I’m trying to finish this paper and wind down for the evening.”  


“But it’s physically _impossible_ to be excited and not scream!” Aster responded, his voice even louder than before.  
  
“That’s untrue. I do it all the time,” the half-elf said flatly.

“You’re capable of experiencing excitement?” Aster teased, pinching Richter’s cheeks into a painful smile. “I would never have guessed! I didn’t think you had any other feelings besides tired, hungry, and grumpy.”

“Well, with you around, it’s kind of hard to be anything _but_ tired, hungry, and grumpy.” Richter retorted, slapping Aster’s hands away and rubbing his sore cheeks. “You’re so rambunctious that it takes all of my energy and _then_ some just to put up with your antics some days.”

“Aww, I’m not that bad, am I?”

“ _Sometimes_ you are. Like right now, for instance. You go off gallivanting for hours and leave me holding the bag with this project and then you just… show up now to pester me when I’m _so close_ to finally being done with this? Do you not see where the problem originates?”

Aster frowned. “I didn’t think you’d mind, really. I mean, especially if my company _exhausts_ you, I think you’d be happy when I just disappear.”  
  
“Not when you leave me with all the work that I expected we’d be doing together,” Richter grumbled, before shaking his head. “Look, I _don’t_ hate your company, okay? It’s just tough when you’re so flighty. I can’t exactly rely on you to be here when I need you, and I can never really prepare for all the absurd things you spring on me at random. It… it makes working a lot more stressful for me, y’know? I’m used to it, but… well, it doesn’t make the work any easier.”  
  
“Is… Is that really how you feel, Richter?”

The redhead sighed. “Like I said, it’s not that I don’t enjoy having you around. I do. And your whimsical streak is endearing in most other contexts. But when it comes to doing paperwork, it’s pretty detrimental.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Aster said, giving Richter a gentle hug. “I don’t mean to make things difficult for you. I just have so many projects that sometimes I forget that you’re relying on me. I get swept up in all the new, enticing things that I sometimes lose track of prior commitments. I guess… I guess I take you for granted sometimes. You’re always so dependable, Richter. I guess that’s why I end up putting off our projects for so long. You always seem to manage fine without me, and I guess that somewhere in the back of my mind I think ‘He’ll get it done,’ and I just stop worrying. I trust you to finish things up while I move on to the novelties. But you’re right. That’s not very fair to you.”  
  
“It’s not that big of a deal. You’ve been doing it for years. I’m used to it,” Richter grumbled, shrugging off Aster’s hug.  
  
“No, it _is_ a big deal! The fact that I’ve been doing it for years makes it an even _bigger_ deal! If the fact that I don’t prioritize our projects is forcing extra work upon you and stressing you out this much, then it’s definitely something I need to fix. In fact, I should start right now! What else needs to get done? I’ll do it, whatever it is.”  
  
Richter sighed, half of him convinced that even if Aster seemed sincere, he would probably just end up goofing off and being a distraction if he gave the blond something to do. He silently chewed himself out for his own pessimism, attributing it to frustration and exhaustion, and selected a task for Aster. “Well, it would be really helpful if you could go back through the citations and write up the bibliography while I finish this last section, here.”  
  
“Right! I’ll have it done in a jiffy!” Aster chirped, going through the pages Richter had marked in their research materials and compiling a complete list for each book before organizing it into a neat bibliography. “All done,” the blond said, beaming, holding out the papers to Richter.

“Thanks.” The redhead broke away from his pensive scribbling to give the other a soft smile. Richter penned a few more sentences of the concluding paragraph before heaving a sigh of relief. “Finally, I can sleep easy tonight. Now that we don’t have this dissertation hanging over our heads, we can take some time to relax.” He gratefully took the bibliography Aster had compiled and stapled it at the end of the paper. “There. See, isn’t this _much_ nicer now that we don’t have anything to worry about for a bit?”  
  
“If you say so.” Aster laughed sitting on the edge of the desk. “Personally I get kinda bored and anxious if I _don’t_ have something to procrastinate on. Nothing gives me a jolt of motivation to get something done more than the desperate desire to _not_ be doing something else.”  
  
Richter chuckled. “So what were you so desperate to _not_ be doing that motivated you to come back and help me out, then?”  
  
“Well, two things,” Aster admitted, “I decided to help you because I was desperate to _not_ let you stay stressed out, but what motivated me to come back here in the first place was actually a little surprise.” He winked at the other.

“Oh, I see. Is that what you were so excited about before?”  
  
“Yep! I wanted you to come and see it, and now that you have nothing better to do…” Aster linked his arm through the half-elf’s, “Now you have no excuse to _not_ come and see!”

Richter rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah. Now I remember why I don’t usually mind you dumping the entire workload on me. It gives me an excuse to get out of your ‘surprises’.” The redhead tried to sound irritated, but the smirk on his lips and the lilt in his voice made it more than obvious that he was actually amused by Aster’s “surprises”.

“Well, it’s too late now! Come on!” Aster grinned as he pulled Richter from the lab, barely giving the redhead a chance to grab his tea before he was whisked off back to their room.

“Okay, so where is this surprise that’s gotten you so excited?”  
  
“Just settle yourself down on the futon and I’ll get it!” Aster was practically bouncing off the walls with enthusiasm, and Richter couldn’t suppress a quiet laugh at the sight.  
  
“Alright, alright, screwball. Go and get your surprise. I’m not going anywhere.” He smirked, plopping down and taking a sip of his tea.  
  
Aster gleefully bounded off to his bedroom, returning to the common room wearing a fluffy pair of pointed animal ears. “Tada! Aren’t they super cute?! Rilena got them for me as a joke gift, but the joke’s on _her_ because I _love them!_ ” The blond cackled, turning around a few times to let Richter see them from all angles. “What do you think?”  
  
“Well, they certainly suit you.” Richter grinned over the rim of his mug, taking another swallow of his drink. “Are they supposed to be dog ears or cat ears?”  
  
“I’m not sure. They’re pretty nondescript so I guess it could work either way. Whatever you want them to be, I suppose!”  
  
“Well, if they go with your personality, they must be dog ears. You’ve got all the energy and lack of inhibitions that a puppy does.”  
  
“Well, at least I don’t try to hump your leg!”

Richter nearly spat his tea at that remark. “Oh my _Goddess_ , Aster, I almost friggin’ choked!”  
  
The blond could only snicker in response. “I bet I’d make a great puppy, though! I do love getting pet and having my belly scratched and eating food off your plate when you’re not looking!”  
  
“Yeah, not to mention you’re _barely_ housetrained and you’d rather play than work. You’re a puppy alright. A puppy through and through.”  
  
“Hey! I just had the best idea! Pet me!”

Richter was taken aback by the suggestion. “P-pardon? You want me to _what?_ ”  
  
“Pet me! Please?”

“You want me to… _pet_ you?” Richter’s cheeks became dusted with red, not knowing what he should think about Aster’s request.  
  
“Yes! Please, pet me, it’s for science.”

 _“For science.”_ That was always the petty pretend excuse Aster used whenever he wanted something done without explanation or questioning. Usually it just meant something was for his own personal amusement, other times it meant he wanted an experiment done “off-record.” But in this particular context, the request was simply too absurd to not warrant further questions.  
  
“You seriously want me to pet you? L-like how?” Richter’s flush darkened until his cheeks were doing a stunning impression of his hair. “Pet”, after all, was a verb with a few meanings.  
  
“You know, _pet_ me! Pet me like you’d pet a dog!” Aster hopped up on the futon beside Richter, leaning in and practically begging for physical contact.  
  
“Like a dog, huh? Okay.” The half-elf reluctantly reached out a hand and began stroking the top of Aster’s head.  
  
The blond practically melted into his lap, mewling happily as the redhead continued the gentle touches. The reaction was very unusual, even for Aster, who was perhaps the very definition of the word. Still, Richter had to admit it was kind of cute the way Aster just sprawled in his lap, practically purring, leaning his head into the strokes, his ahoge wagging like a puppy’s tail.  
  
Richter really had no idea why that little tuft of hair behaved the way it did, and had a sneaking suspicion that it was bewitched, but the seemingly animate hair proved nothing more than an amusing conduit for conveying Aster’s emotions, so Richter had never bothered wracking his brain too hard over it.  
  
Richter gradually moved his hand down to Aster’s nape, and the blond arched up into the petting as Richter gradually moved down the boy’s back. He lingered a moment on the boy’s lumbar region. _He wants me to pet him just like I would pet a dog, right?_ Richter hesitantly curled his fingers, giving the boy some soft scratches.  
  
Aster let out a garbled noise, something like a growl and a purr mixing in his throat, before letting out a sigh. “Mmmm… yessss. That feels good, Richter. Keep doing that.”  
  
Richter gave an affirmative grunt and continued to scratch, growing increasingly more and more amused by how much Aster seemed to be behaving like some bizarre combination of a cat and a dog. The redhead wasn’t sure how much of it was actually intentional, but he was certain Aster wasn’t faking all of it.  
  
Every so often, Richter’s fingers flitted across the sensitive skin of Aster’s sides and the boy shuddered, grinning as he began to twist into those light touches, slowly rolling over onto his back. Richter chuckled, pushing up the blond’s shirt a bit and gently stroking the bare skin of his belly. “Ooh, that’s niiiiiice. More of that pleeeeease…” Aster’s eyes fluttered shut and he began bouncing his leg reflexively as Richter continued to rub his belly.

“You weren’t kidding, huh? You really do like having your tummy rubbed.”  
  
“I _never_ lie about where I like to be touched,” Aster said, wriggling happily in the other’s lap as the petting continued.  
  
“Well, that’s convenient. I can use it like an off switch for when you get too hyperactive,” Richter mused, tickling under Aster’s chin.

“Noooooo!” Aster whined, sticking his tongue out. “How will I pester you if you can just pet me into submission whenever I’m trying to be obnoxious?”  
  
“Knowing you, I’m certain you’ll find plenty of ways to annoy me, even with this little trick.”

“Well, I think we both know one way that never fails to incapacitate me.” Aster smirked, shifting so that Richter’s petting drifted toward an area just below his belt.  
  
Richter blushed, lifting his hand, unsure if naughty touching was indeed Aster’s intent when he shifted his position. “So now we’re graduating from petting to heavy petting?” Richter arched an eyebrow.

“Or something more. That is, if you want to,” Aster said, batting his eyelashes.  
  
“Alright. We’ll see how this goes.” Richter resumed stroking Aster, feeling along his inseam and gently tracing the bulge forming between Aster’s legs. The boy whined happily arching up into Richter’s hand, demanding firmer touches.  
  
The redhead obliged, grasping the human’s significant areas through the layers of fabric and letting Aster grind up into his hand.  
  
“W-would you, hnngh, would you want to go a-all the way?” Aster asked, wondering if he should return the favor.  
  
“I’m not opposed to the idea. If you can excite me enough, then I simply can’t refuse,” he said with a wink. Richter was always playing hard to get, teasing him like that. But Aster knew from experience that this was Richter’s way of consenting.  
  
Aster nodded and wriggled into a better position, sitting upright between his partner’s legs, and began unbuttoning Richter’s cloak.  
  
The half-elf, meanwhile, continued with his ministrations, letting his free hand wander to caress the blond’s thigh.  
  
Aster moaned hotly, tilting his head up to kiss Richter as he fumbled with the buttons on the other’s shirt. Once he had everything undone, he shifted the fabric out of the way, breaking away from the redhead’s lips so he could press his own to the other’s chest kissing his way toward a sensitive nipple.  
  
Richter let out a low grunt, a precursor to a purr, as the blond began waking his body. The first few tendrils of fire were snaking through him, and he escalated his petting with renewed enthusiasm. Undoing the blond’s pants and roughly shrugging them down to mid-thigh, Richter continued rubbing. Without the stiffer fabric of the human’s pants in the way, Richter wrapped his fingers around the other’s shaft, jerking crudely.  
  
Aster whimpered a bit, thrusting into the warmth of Richter’s hand. He kissed his way back up his partner’s chest, taking a moment to nibble his neck as he tweaked both of Richter’s nipples. He worked his way to the redhead’s jaw, licking and sucking and kissing and biting. He knew Richter liked a bit of pain, so he found a suitable spot and began roughing it up, sucking hard and scraping it with his teeth.  
  
Richter squirmed. He might not be as easy to arouse as Aster, but the boy certainly did know just how to push all of his buttons. A bubble of warmth surged through him, as if he’d swallowed a smooth warm stone, settling in his belly as he began to undress Aster a bit more, undoing the black and red shirt under the blond’s lab coat.  
  
Aster was a bit disappointed at the loss of attention to his nethers, but he figured it was for the best. After all, if he wanted to make it through the intercourse, he shouldn’t get so close to the edge during the foreplay. He moved on from his partner’s neck, leaving a small hickey behind, moving ever higher before nipping the redhead’s ears.  
  
Richter moaned, leaning in to the nip before mimicking the action on Aster, helping the boy to shrug off his clothing. He shifted Aster's position a bit, laying the boy’s legs across his lap, putting his mouth to work on the boy’s bare chest as he tugged off his boots, kicking off his own shoes as he went, tugging the pants down once the boots were out of the way. Aster panted, unable to resist as Richter wriggled out from under him, disrobing while worming his tongue against the young human’s.  
  
When they were both in the same state of undress, Richter suggested a change in venue. “It’ll probably be late by the time we’re done. We’ll want to go to bed after. Besides, the last thing we need is in the bedroom so--”  
  
Aster nodded in agreement before Richter could finish the thought. “R-right. It’s more comfortable there, anyway.” They reluctantly released each other, scampering off to the bedroom to finish their debauchery. Aster pressed Richter down into the mattress, putting his mouth to work on Richter’s midriff. This was the final burst of flame needed to ignite the other’s unfettered passion. Aster knew it took a bit longer to warm Richter up, but the burn was intense with an unfathomable longevity.  
  
Like burning coals dancing through his insides, Richter felt his desires begin to spin. Where to go from here? “What should we do tonight, then? We have so many options.” He purred.  
  
“I don’t know. But whatever we do, I probably shouldn’t top. I’m too excited as it is. I’ll blow it way too soon in my current condition.”

“We don’t have to finish at the same time, you know. Sex isn’t over just because somebody cums.”  
  
“I know, but when I finish, I kind of lose interest, and I don’t want to leave you hanging. I’m afraid I’d be a pretty poor lover when I’m half-asleep and it’s lonely to have to finish on your own, isn’t it?”

“I suppose.” Richter murmured, grinding against Aster’s thigh while he thought. “Hm… how about this, then? Since you’re my little ‘puppy’, how about we do it doggy-style?”

“O-okay.” Aster tittered. “E-even better, I can get you even more revved up while you prep me.”  
  
“Mmmm… I do like the sound of that.” Richter smiled, rummaging in a drawer of the nightstand and pulling out a small container of lubricant. He coated three fingers before setting the container aside as Aster got into position.  
  
Aster lowered his head between Richter’s legs as the redhead probed him with the first finger. He took the tip of the redhead’s manhood into his mouth as Richter slipped inside of him, pushing deeper and deeper. He shuddered inching forward, sucking more and more of Richter’s girth into his mouth while the redhead worked.  
  
Richter moaned as Aster licked along his shaft, grazing against it with his teeth, bobbing his head up and down, taking in more and more each time. “Mmmmm… fuck, Aster… T-that feels good.”  
  
Aster hummed as if to say “I know,” as he worked his way to the base. He gripped the sheets tightly as Richter pressed a second finger into him, stretching him and teasing him, keeping his body thrumming with excitement without pushing him over the edge.  
  
Richter whined when the blond began to deepthroat him, swallowing around his swollen member before pulling back for a breath. “F-Fuck! That’s--! G-Goddess, it’s… it’s just too good!” Aster’s lips curled around Richter’s shaft, forming a devilish grin as he pressed forward again, taking in all he could. The half-elf rewarded the blond with the third finger, applying the last of the lube and stretching him just a bit more.  
  
Aster’s urges had calmed just a bit, his mind refocused on exciting his partner and his body deriving pleasure from a different stimulation. Still, he knew that Richter was still a bit behind, and he liked it best when they both finished together. As the redhead withdrew his fingers from the blond’s depths, the little human roughly crammed a finger of his own into Richter. The half-elf barely choked back a whimper. He was not at all prepared for the abrupt intrusion and the finger went in fast and dry, resulting in a dreadful friction. Still, even with the pain, he couldn’t say he didn’t like it. Aster was the rough and sloppy kind in general, and Richter had to admit that he’d grown to enjoy the not-so-gentle way in which the crazy blond handled him.  
  
Aster began probing, wriggling the finger in deeper and deeper until Richter’s heavy panting was interrupted by a shrill gasp. “Aaaaah! Nhhhhggh… _shit…,_ ” Richter groaned, twisting and writhing, biting into a nearby pillow in the mound that cradled his head. Aster knew what that sound meant. He kept pressing against that spot inside his mate, enjoying that he seemed to be able to control the pitch of Richter’s moans with the blow job. The further down the shaft he sucked, the higher Richter’s voice got. He amused himself this way, composing a sexual symphony with the redhead’s lusty voice, until his partner held him back.  
  
“A-Aster… That should be plenty. Besides… if we wait much longer, I’ll need to stretch you again.”  
  
The blond scientist gave a disappointed whine, but he had to agree it was about time that the real action began. He untangled himself from the other, swapping positions, getting to his hands and knees as Richter knelt behind him. He slathered a bit more lube over his member (after all, a little extra never hurt anyone) and leaned in, parting Aster’s cheeks to facilitate a smooth entrance.  
  
The human shuddered, practically purring as Richter slid inside. With practice, Richter had become an expert and preparing him, and Aster felt no pain or friction as the half-elf eased in. He sighed, melting forward onto the bed, burying his face in the pillows. There was a damp spot, and Aster couldn’t help but giggle, knowing that he was the reason Richter had left the saturated spot, apparently drooling through the endless stream of moans Aster had induced.  
  
There was no real necessity to pause, but they’d both grown accustomed to a brief interlude, a minute or so previously dedicated to letting the receptive of the pair get used to the sensation, finish stretching, and prepare for what was to come. Now it was nothing more than a cuddling opportunity, a little intermission to smooth the transition from foreplay to intercourse. Richter wrapped an arm around the younger’s chest, nibbling his nape.  
  
Aster moaned, arching into the sensation, tilting his head to guide Richter’s mouth to where he liked it best. When everything was to his liking, the blond hunkered down into the most comfortable position he could find, knowing he’d be too enthralled once things started to correct a painful posture. He stretched his arms forward, burying his face in the pillows before prompting Richter to begin. “I’m ready whenever you are.” Richter needed no second urging, pulling back and giving the blond his first firm thrust, then another, then another, slowly falling into a measured rhythm.  
  
Aster let his eyes flutter closed, mewling without restraint as Richter worked his magic. The redhead had become very skilled at brushing up against all the right places, inside and out. The hand on his chest fondled a nipple, the mouth on his neck kissed along a ticklish spot, and the member inside him rubbed against his prostate with nearly every thrust. Things were a bit lazy and predictable at first, but the human preferred it this way, especially when he was already far ahead of Richter in terms of arousal. He could brace himself, control his urges, and focus himself on pleasuring Richter. He did his best to clench during each thrust, enjoying the way it Richter grunted a bit, making guttural sounds of pleasure.

Richter gradually began to pick up the pace as he continued, Aster’s moaning spurring him on as he went. It was difficult to find a pace that kept Aster’s arousal steady while feeding his own, but it was a delicate balance that he knew he could find, especially with Aster’s help. He eased up on the fondling as his hips moved faster and faster, the blond taking this as an opportunity to shake things up again. He clenched and pushed, slightly out of rhythm with Richter's thrusts, giving his partner varying levels of friction, revving him up while the redhead kept him dangling dangerously close to the edge.

The shifting of their pace continued, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, until they hit that sweet spot. “Comfortable?” Richter’s breath against his ear sent a shiver down Aster’s spine.  
  
“Yeah,” the blond nodded into the pillows, “keep going j-just like that. I should be able to hold on until you’re r-ready.”

“Right.” Richter kept things steady, his pleasure heightening slowly at first, then increasing exponentially with each little surprise Aster threw in: bucking up into him, a prolonged clench, a slight twist or a wriggle that applied a slightly different friction.

Finally, Richter felt himself peaking. “Getting close. You?”

“Not as close as before. But that’s nothing you can’t fix.” Aster mewled.

Richter smirked, reaching down and grabbing Aster’s length, jerking it in time with his thrusts. Words were abandoned. They let their moans speak for them instead, letting the intensity, pitch, and frequency tell them how close the other was. Capping off a glorious encounter, Richter came, his release oozing down Aster’s cheeks onto the sheets. Aster finished just a few moments later, mewling his partner’s name, his seed gushing through Richter's fingers and onto the bed.

Richter rolled off of the blond, panting, lazily reaching into the nightstand for a hand-towel to clean himself off. He wiped himself down, his brain relearning words as he handed the towel to Aster.  
  
“Thanks,” the human sighed, cleaning himself off and dabbing at the wet spot on the sheets.

“No problem.” Richter nodded, still catching his breath. “Did you, *pant*, did you like it?”  
  
“Of course.” The blond smiled at the half-elf. “I always enjoy it. I’m impressed by your stamina. Sometimes I wonder how you hold out as long as you do.”  
  
“That’s not stamina,” Richter chuckled, “it just takes me that long to finish. Sometimes it’s a pain in the ass, especially when you’re already started. It’s like you’re a sprinter and I run for distance. If you start running first, you usually reach your limit and get tired before I’ve even started. If we start together, you’re done half way and I have to finish running by myself. And if I get a head start, I run the risk of you getting bored before you even hit the track just watching me.”  
  
“First of all,” Aster giggled, “I could never get bored with watching you, just as long as you’re not ‘running’ with someone else. I’m also perfectly happy to ‘piggyback’ until we’re within sprinting distance of the finish line.”  
  
“I guess, but I’d still feel shitty for making you tag along for that long before you finally get your chance.”  
  
“And I’d feel just as bad for leaving you hanging. I don’t want you to be left running all alone while I’m fucking wheezing off to the side.”  
  
“Yeah, I know. I just wish we had similar speeds, that’s all.” Richter smiled, ruffling the blond’s hair.  
  
“Well, I’m pretty sure you’ll get better at sprinting before I’ll get better at distance running. I can always coach you if you want!”  
  
Richter snorted, trying not to laugh while imagining what a “coaching session” might look like. “Well, I suppose we could try that. If anyone could get me to run faster, it would be you.”  
  
“Great! Shall we start tomorrow?”  
  
“Tomorrow?! Pffft, Aster, did you forget that we have another paper due?”  
  
“Again?!” Aster frowned.  
  
“We’re scientists, Aster. Doing research and writing papers is kind of what we do.”  
  
“I know, I know, but it’s so much more fun to ‘experiment’!” Aster laughed, grabbing the animal ear headband from the nightstand and putting it on again.  
  
“Indeed.” The half-elf laughed. “I’ll make you a deal, though. If you can manage to not get distracted tomorrow and you help me get the paper done on time, we can spend _all_ the time you want afterward ‘experimenting’.”  
  
“Deal!” Aster chirped, nuzzling his partner, his fluffy ears tickling the other’s cheeks.  
  
Richter stroked the blond gently. “Alright, fluffball. Get some sleep, then. We’ve got a long day tomorrow.”

Aster obeyed almost instantly, falling asleep easily with Richter’s comforting petting to help him drift off.  
  
The half-elf smiled, musing about the animal ears. _I still can’t tell if they’re supposed to be cat or dog ears, but Goddess Martel they make him look so cute._ He wrapped himself around the nutty blond scientist, hugging him with arms and legs, breathing in his scent, slowly slipping into dreams as he pet his precious partner. Aster, simultaneously the cutest kitten and puppy in the entire world.


End file.
